“I Was Advised To Inject My Son With Harmful Substance” – First Lady Of Kogi State On The Challenges Of Raising A Child With Special Needs In Nigeria

Parenting a child is hard, parenting a child with special needs is even harder.

It is a hard and lonely road for many Nigerian women because of the lack of facilities to support children with special needs and also the stigma and discrimation they face.

The wife of Kogi state governor, Mrs. Amina Bello is speaking up about the challenges of raising her son who has celebral palsy and advocating for better support for other children.

While addressing the press in Abuja, she said that she had been mocked by friends and some family members for having a son with cerebral palsy.

“There is also the stigma which starts from your immediate environment. People will be whispering when a child with special needs or his parents are around. This has made a lot of parents to live in depression. This is the reason why some parents choose to live in denial and lock up such children. I was advised to inject my son with harmful substance and some people advised me to take him to the village” she said.